Apple received a lot of criticism when it introduced its iPad mini last October for $329. Critics felt that since other 7-inch tablets out at the time, like Google’s Nexus 7 for example, were in the $200 range, Apple was crazy for pricing the mini so high.
But these days you don’t have to pay quite that much to snag the tiny tablet. Last week we saw Apple offering a refurbished version of the 16GB Wi-Fi iPad mini for $299. And today, it looks like Walmart has matched that price for a brand new one…
As noted by DealNews (via MacRumors), Walmart has just knocked about 10% off the price of its 16GB iPad mini, knocking it down to $299. The offer is for the Wi-Fi only model, and appears to include both the white and black versions of the slate.
This is the lowest price we’ve seen on the mini since it launched last fall, so it’s worth checking out if you’re in the market for a new tablet. Unfortunately it looks like the deal is only available in stores, and judging by local inventory, stock is limited.
If you’re looking for a deal on a non-mini tablet, 9to5Toys points out that Best Buy has just put a lot of its iPad 3 models on clearance. You can score either a Wi-Fi-only or LTE model for up to 30% off, creating deals like a 32GB Wi-Fi model for $384.
If you can, though, it might be worth waiting. Word is that Apple could be planning an iPad event for later this month (which could explain the price drops). And we’ve heard a number of rumors in the last few months that it’s working on a Retina iPad mini.